Valve for bus heaters



June 9, 1936. 1.. c. HYATT 2,043,198

VALVE FOR BUS HEATERS Filed Feb. 6, 1930 FIG. 1

Fl 6 2 i|||||||||| E? INVENTOR lay/Li C f/yal? Y ATTORNEY I Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE a. a 2,043,798; f

v VALVE roa' BUS HEATERS Louis Cl Hyatt, Albany, N. Y., assignor to (3onsolidated Car-Heating Company, Inc.,-Albany, N.'Y., a corporation of New York g 1 Application February 6, 1930,'Serial No. 426,3 ll

40mins. (01. 131-1591,

For a detailed description of the present form of my invention, reference may be had to the following'specification and to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of my device, and I Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the controller. My invention relates to a heater for a bus, or other appropriate vehicle propelled by an internal combustion engine; It has been proposed to heat such vehicles from the exhaust of the engine by introducing the exhaust gas into a radiator in the vehicle. That method is, however, not free from danger because of the possibility that said gas will escape inside the bus,

and, being largely carbon'monoxide, which is poisonous, will be injurious tothe passengers. In the device shown'I introduce the exhaust gas into an evaporator, which may be-located in any safe position. In this evaporator is contained a. small permanent body of water, or other evaporable liquid, which is converted'into steam by the heat of the exhaust gas. This steam may be safely introduced into the vehicle,

and there, by means of a condensing radiator,-

deliver its heat to the interior of the'vehicle;

Since the body of'water is 'small-say eight ounces-4n order to avoid a large weight of water, such' as would be required if the "water instead of steam, were made the heatcarrying medium, it becomes important to avoid leakage in the steam piping.- A minute leak might quickly drain out the small body of water, particularly if it :were under high internal pressure, and leave the system inoperative. For that reason it is also my present purpose; to construct a 'sealed'heating unit in'which I employ a heat-'-controller that is sealed inside of the piping for the steam. By this meansI am enabled to properly regulate the heating,'by control of 1 the flow of the condensate back into the evaporator, without the 'need of an external valve handle passing through thewall of the steam piping and the stufiing box which such a valve requires and which is liable to leakage at unexpected times.

' Referring to the accompanying drawing, B represents the exhaust pipe of'the propelling internal co'mbustion engine which, as usual, opens into the outside atmosphere, preferably through a mufilen At any'suitable point'in said pipe B, I form an enlargement G inside of which is the 'vaporizer D in the shape of a -coiled tube serving as a boiler for which'the' enlargement G is the'heat-box. The coil of this boiler should not obstruct the passage of the exhaust gas through the said pipe B and the interpolated heat-box G.- The vaporizer D is, at oneend, connected to a pipe X that leads to'a condensing radiator C'inthe vehicle-bodyand is con- 5 nected thereto in a suitable manner. The opposite terminal of the radiator C is suitably connected by pipe Y to the opposite end of evaporator D. Thesaid pipe Y'includes a cast metal chamber P.- To a flange inside. of chamber P near its bottom the lowerendof a corrugated drum 'R is brazed or otherwise secured in such manner as to provide a tightly sealed union' of the parts, and a disc S is brazed or otherwise secured to the top of said drum so as to provide a tightly sealed union of the parts. An adjusting screw T is loosely swivelled to .theupper face of disc S, and passes thence upward through the top of chamber P in which it has a screwbearing. As shown, the disk S is provided with 2 a socket l0, having one end wall loosely engaging a reduced portion ll of the screw shank. Said reduced portion is provided with an end flange I2, and the socket is of such length that a limited movement of theend wall S with respect to saidflanges, is permitted axially with f respect to saidscrew. To the-under face of p disc S is secured the stem of avalve 0, the valve seating in the outletopening'of pipe Y in the floor of chamber P. It will be noted that the '30- drum R is a part of a sealed heating unit; which also includes the vaporizer, radiator and the supply and return connections, and that. the valve and valve stem are completely and'wholly 7 located within the sealed unit in such manner that no leakage to the outside atmosphere is normally possible. It' will also be noted that the screwT isso connected withthe drum R that the valve maybe manually adjusted without destroying the'non-leak characteristics of'the 40 unit. By'this means the corrugated drum R can, by itsexpansion and contraction within the limits permitted by its loosejswivel connection with adjusting screwT, act to raise and lower the valve 0 and thereby control the-outflow through pipe Y'from the radiator C to the evaporator D. Yet this controlling agency for' regulating the flow of the condensate from the radiator to the evaporator is permanently and her metically connected with-the line of piping made 7 up of the evaporator coil 'D, the pipe X, the

radiator C and pipe Y. Thus thereisno opportunity for leakage out of said piping line of either the steam or the small body of water employed for producing the steam, I Asa heatto water at the radiator.

ing agency for the bus the steam is efiective, not by virtue of its large volume but by virtue of its high temperature which is maintained by the'rapidity of the cycle of conversion from water to steam at. the vaporizer and from steam The maximum limit of the heating is determined by adjusting screw I iorming to the conventional contour of a motor T which fixes the degree towhich the valve checking the back flow of condensate can be lifted; by the internalsteam pressure "in drum B. On the other hand, by screwing T down the valve can be completely closed. That will" break the cycle, and the. condensate, which is of restricted volume, will then be all trapped in the radiator, leaving none in the evapo ratortdbej; reconverted into steam. From the'foregoing it will beobvious that irrespective of whether-101' not the unit is sealed hot or coldp-just assoon g as the internal pressure :within the, ex-

ceeds the external pressure upon thedr'umR,'

the valve "will be moved-from itsseat -to the extent provided by any adjusted position .of the screw .T. Thus, if thevalve is seatedwhile the unit is1cold;': and thescrew T hasbeenadjusted to permit of liinitedupward movement, as the internal pressure :increases, the valve; will [be moved in theunseati'ng direction. tothe extent' permitted by the :space between the head S andthegflange l2. In a similar manner, if the external pressure I exceeds the. internal pressure, thehvalve will be; moved to its seat tothe same extentas the distance that the head S may move along the reduced diameter ll of the screw:T.

It willalso be readilyun'derstood that the screw T may be adjusted so as to hold the valve to its seat or away from its seatirrespective of the pressures, because if the screw T is ad- J'usteddownwardly far enough the flange l2 will abut thebottom of the socket l0, and prevent any upward movement of the valve. In a similar manner, the screw T may be adjusted npwardly to such apoint that the flange l2- will engage the upperwall ofthe socket l andprevent downward movement of the valve. Therefore, it it is desired thatthe valve be unseated by pressure, the screw T is adjusted to themsition shown in Fig. 2.. If it is desired to absolutely prevent upwardmovement the screw. Tyis adjusted so that the flange l2 abuts against the lower wall ofthe'socket I0. V g,

In the drawing, :for purposes of illustration, I

the vehicle is diagrammatically shown asconrvehicle, with the radiator C located in the space back of thenhood, It ,is to -be:understood, ,how-' ever, .thatthe radiator may be' located at any desired position within' said vehicle body.

In practice, the 1-n'ormal .setting,o f the valve .0 mightbe fully closed-fully opened'or at :an

intermediate position, depending entirely.upon-.-v

s-the-a'djusted' position of the screw T. If there is, no steam pressurein the system, the pressure within the-system could beatmospheric or less,

depending upon the conditions prevailing; at the time of hermetically sealing the system, For instance, ii the system is sealed cold, without removing the air, the pressure within the system after sealing would be atmosphericpressujre while there is no steam pressure in the system. Under this condition, the pressures inside and-outside of the system" would be balanced and-thejcorrugateddrum R. would tendto assume its normal position. .T'nis position would be determined by the adjusted position of the screw T and the clearance between theenlarzepheric while there is no steam pressure in the system. With the system sealed hot, the presment [2 and. the disk 8. In thisnormal position of the drum R, the valve 0 could by design be either closed-or opened, as above stated. '1 If the valve 0 is to be normally closed, the drum R could be extended by-the screw T to open 5 the valve, because said drum can be extended or compressed from its normal position. On the other hand, if the valve 0 is normally opened, the drum lit may bekcompressed. by the screw T to close the valve 0.

. i a If the system'is sealed hot (above 212 F2),

"so that the air inside thesystem has been exe- V pelled by the steamythe pressure within the system after sealingwould be less than atmossure within the system would be less than atmospheric after the system has cooled; Because atmospheric pressure would prevail 'in the space exterior to the'space enclosed by the drum R z'o and disk S, on account of the movable connection betweenthe; screw T. andsaid disc, this atmospheric pressure on the upper face ;of a said disk would tend tocompress the drum R while there; is no steam pressure within the system.

However, the position of the valve O, with no pressure within the steam system would be de-' termined by the position, of the screw T, the clearance between T and S and. the Jengthoi; the valve; stem between the valve the disks? a g t w v If it is desired that-theyalveo be closed, the screw T-eis screwed down and' th'e valve O will be moved to its seat, regardlessof steam pressure,and the systemcools oil. If it. is vdeflred that the valve be openedyscrew T is adjusted reversely and the valveyOj is opened so, that condensate, can return to the evaporator D, and generate steamii' there is heat and temperature enough within the enlargement Q oi the exhaust 40 7 [WhatI claim as new anddes'irejto secure by Letters Patentis; 5 I

v.;1 Avalvefor' ontrolllng flow-oi 'condensateiin a continuous, sealed heating unit, comprising ,a u

, casing havingin inlet branch inthe side thereof c v and an outlet branch-inthebottom thereof, said outlet branch having avalve seat at its point of communication with said casing, an'expansible and contractible pressure-responsive chamber-located within saidcasing, said chamberhaving an open lower, end in'sealedconnection with-said 1' branches so as tobe subject tothe 'pressureltherein, said chamberhaving aetop wall movable towards-and from said valve seat, a tapered valve Bl complemental to said seat and having a stem se-.

, cured to the underside or said movable ,walL-an having a valve seat at its point otrjcommunica 79 .tion with said casing, anexpansible and contract ible pressure -responsivechamber located within said casing and having a lower open end; in sealed.

communication with said "inlet and outlet branches s0 asto be subject to the pressure there- "l5 in said socket, said screw and said-socket being so relatively constructed and arranged as to have limited relative movement parallel with the axis of the screw.

3. A valve for controlling flow of condensate in a continuous, sealed heating unit, comprising a return pipe connection consisting of a chamber having an inlet branch in the side thereof and a centrally located outlet branch in the bottom thereof, said outlet branch having a valve seat at the point of communication with said casing, an expansible and contractible pressure-responsive chamber located within said casing and having an open lower end secured to the wall of said casing in sealed communication with said branches so as to be subject to the pressure therein, said chamber having a top wall movable toward and from said valve seat, a valve stem having one end secured to the underside of said movable wall and provided at its other end with a valve positioned to project into said outlet branch in such manner as to cooperate with said valve seat, and adjusting means located exteriorly of said chamber and engaging said movable wall,

said adjusting means including means providing for limited longitudinal movement of said movable wall with respect to the adjustable means.

4. A valve for controlling fiow of condensate in a continuous, sealed heating unit, comprising a return pipe connection consisting of a casing having an inlet branch in the side thereof and a centrally located outlet branch leading from the bottom thereof, said outlet branch having a valve seat at its point of communication with said casing,

said casing having an internal annular flange located above the plane of the inlet branch, an expansible and contractible pressure-responsive chamber located in said casing and having an open lower end with its edge sealed to said flange so as to be subject to the pressure from the inlet and outlet branches, said chamber having a closed top wall movable toward and from said valveseat, a valve stem having one end secured to said movable wall so as to move therewith and having a conical valve on its other end complemental to said seat, means providing a socket in the top face of said movable Wall, an adjusting screw mounted in the top wall of said casing and hav-- ing a reduced portion extended into said socket and also having a flange for limiting movement of the adjusting screw with respect to said top Wall, the adjusting screw, valve stem and outlet branch being approximately in axial alignment with each other.

LOUIS C. HYATI. 

